How Sharon Raydor Died During Major Crimes' Final Season

The Major Crimes Sharon Raydor death episode is still one of the most shocking ends for a protagonist on a hit show. TNT's Major Crimes is a spinoff of The Closer, which starred Kyra Sedgwick and J.K. Simmons. The show took a look at the Major Crimes division of the Los Angeles Police Department, headed by Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell). Raydor's calm and intelligent approach to big cases made her a compelling protagonist, which is why many fans are still trying to figure out what happened to Sharon on Major Crimes long after its end in the late 2010s.

When The Closer ended after seven seasons in 2017, Raydor earned her own series, Major Crimes. Just like its predecessor, the show was a strong performer, meaning it came as something of a surprise when TNT canceled the show after six seasons. However, that was just the beginning of the surprises. As the show neared its finale, Sharon was suddenly killed off with four episodes left of the series, and the character did not appear in any of the rest of the show. Years after the series finally wrapped, there are still a lot of strong reactions to the decision.

What Happened In The Sharon Raydor Death Episode

What happened to Sharon in Major Crimes came as a huge blow to viewers, as the character attracted a loyal fanbase over the course of both The Closer and Major Crimes. While there was an expectation that she would make it until the finale of the series, Sharon's death didn't necessarily come out of nowhere. Season 6 established Sharon was having heart issues, and she's later diagnosed with a heart condition during the episode "Sanctuary City: Part 4." She nearly calls off her wedding to detective Andy Flynn (Tony Denison) as a result, but ultimately goes through with the ceremony.

Sharon continued to suffer from her condition, but in Major Crimes episode 9 "Conspiracy Theory: Part 4," she collapses while interrogating a suspect and is rushed to the hospital. A doctor later announces her death and, while fans hoped this ending was some kind of elaborate fake-out to trick Phillip Stroh (Billy Burke) — a longtime villain on the show — that proved not to be the case. Sharon was buried in the next episode while the team focused on taking down Stroh once and for all.

Though many shows killed off the main character in the series finale, Sharon's early death was controversial for fans. Creator James Duff later revealed her death was designed to linger over the team in the last episodes and to give the show a sense of closure. He also felt that if Sharon's death had happened in Major Crimes final episode, it would have been a dark way to close out the series. Raydor died a little earlier to give viewers and the other characters a chance to mourn both her and the end of the show.

Mary McDonnell Was Removed From The Show's Credits

What happened to Sharon on Major Crimes was enough to anger fans on its own, but a further move by the show in the episodes that followed made the situation worse. After being the top-billed actor on Major Crimes since its beginning, Mary McDonnell's name was removed from the opening credits of the show. Such a move is not unheard of on television, as it is not uncommon to have credits changed to reflect which actors were currently on the show (Game of Thrones is known for doing this).

However, with only a handful of episodes left, many fans felt removing McDonnell's name was disrespectful. McDonnell herself admitted (via Variety) that, while she was onboard with the decision to kill Sharon off early, the decision to remove her name from the credits came as a shock to her. In response, fans on social media changed their profile pictures to an image of McDonell as Sharon from the previous credits and McDonnell joined them in the gesture.

McDonnell also admits that in regard to the fan reaction to Sharon's death:

"I've never experienced anything quite like this in my career. I will be studying it for a long time to come."

What Mary McDonnell Is Doing Now

The Sharon Raydor death episode of Major Crimes may have ended Mary McDonnell's time on the show, but the actor has had a long career outside of the series that continues to this day. Of course, McDonnell has plenty of well known past roles fans are likely familiar with, from playing the First Lady of the United States in Independence Day to getting promoted to President for Battlestar Galactica.

She also played Jake Gyllenhaal's mom in a stand-out performance in Donnie Darko and starred alongside Kevin Costner in the Best Picture winner Dances with Wolves. Most recently, McDonnell lent her voice to the animated The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and also joined the cast of Mike Flanagan's Netflix horror series The Fall of the House of Usher.

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  G.W. Bailey

  Lt. Louie Provenza

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  Mary McDonnell

  Captain Sharon Raydor